Paul Ripley was astounded when he received a Michelin star barely six months after opening his restaurant. “It’s the ultimate accolade,” he says. “I never thought I’d get one so quickly.” After graduating from the catering programme at Farnborough College in the early 1980s, Ripley roamed London, stopping in some of the capital’s finest kitchens for about a year each time — long enough to learn from the masters before moving on. In 1989 he found a home at Rick Stein’s Seafood Restaurant in Padstow. After ten years of 16-hour days, six days a week, he was burnt out — so he took a year off, did nothing but travel and rest. After his break, he sold his home, borrowed some money and started Ripley’s. He’s back to the 16-hour shifts but at least it’s only five days a week. “I have a simple approach to food,” he says. “I buy the best ingredients and don ’t muck around, just cook them simply and perfectly. Half of a chef’s job is to source good ingredients.”
RIPLEY’S TIPS...
- When cooking vegetables, boil water, add salt and a couple of ground-up vitamin C tablets. Blanch for a few minutes, strain, then dump the lot into a bucket of ice-cold water. The vitamin C helps vegetables to hold their colour.
- When squid is past its peak, crush a kiwi fruit in your hands, then rub the pulp on the raw flesh before cooking. The fruit’s enzymes turn a chewy chunk into a tender treat.
Ripley’s, St. Merryn, near Padstow, Cornwall. 01841 520179